The Houston Rockets made the big move to put them in contention with the best teams in the Western Conference. But at what cost? Well, the West didn’t get any easier, and now they have declared that their championship window is right now. The Western Conference will belong to Oklahoma City for quite some time, but adding Durant could cause a ripple in OKC’s budding dynasty.
The best thing about the Rockets getting Durant is they were able to send out a young player in Jalen Green who could benefit from a fresh start, while also getting a player and scorer that will make their roster more complete. That said, their road through the West doesn’t get any easier.
This past season, Houston was the No. 2 team in the West but failed to make it out of the first round, losing to the Golden State Warriors in seven games. When they reconstructed this team, they built a roster that would be built for championships. They are confident their championship window is now, and getting Durant means they have no choice but to win now, even if it’s a tall task.
The Rockets are all-in after Kevin Durant trade, but their championship dreams are far from reality
One thing Oklahoma City and the Indiana Pacers are showing to us how important it is to capitalize on championship windows. The Thunder are finally on the cusp of a championship after building this roster almost exclusively through the draft (plus one very shrewd trade for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander). They are still under the luxury tax and have some major contract extensions on the horizon.
With the league MVP and an exciting young core around him, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But that doesn’t guarantee them a championship strictly because they’re good on paper. Houston could have that same fate: Just because they got Durant doesn’t automatically hand them a championship.
But it does mean their odds increased significantly. They made the move they needed to make them a respectable contender. They were able to retain the most important pieces of the team to make sure Durant has help. Between Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. alone, they’re able to let Durant dominate on offense with tough role players around him.
The West won’t be easy. But it won’t be as hard as it could be now that they have their superstar. They don’t have to worry about whether they’re too young or investing in the wrong players to get over the hump. They should have no problem being one of the top teams as long as their healthy.
Having the roster is one thing, though. They’ll have to go through a gauntlet that will test every facet of their roster and their championship hopes. They’re real contenders now, but it’s up to them to compete with the heavyweights.